Thousand Islands Yacht Club

Iroquois Ontario

The Thousand Islands Yacht Club is a small friendly club of boating enthusiasts who sail predominantly in the Thousand Islands and Eastern Lake Ontario areas. The Club does not have any fixed assets or facilities, and most members keep their boats for the summer at municipal or commercial marinas between Kingston and Prescott, and for the winter in Iroquois at Iroquois Marine Services. The Club itself is based out of Iroquois Marine Services whose marina and harbour are located on the St. Lawrence River midway between the 1000 Islands Bridge and Lake St. Lawrence, approximately 1/2 mile above the Iroquois Seaway Lock and it is encouraged that perspective members use the services of Iroquois Marine Servies.

As a recognized Canadian Yacht Club we have reciprocal mooring arrangements with approximately sixty Canadian and US Yacht Clubs in and around Lake Ontario and the St. Laurence River. It is through special arrangements with the marina, that the Club is able to offer its reciprocal privileges in Iroquois. Also since most of our members are to be found in and around the Thousand Islands during the summer, a place notorious for its lack of docking, we offer rafting privileges to members of other Yacht Clubs when they visit the islands.

The Club was founded in 1981 by its six original members, hence the six stars on the Club burgee, three of whom still take an active interest in the Club’s progress. Since then the Club has grown and we currently have about thirty families as members. Prospective members should either be friends or acquaintances of existing members or be clients of Iroquois Marine Services. Membership applicants require two sponsors, preferably Club members; Robert Houze the owner of IMS is an Honourary member. Once an application is received by the Treasurer, information about the applicant(s) is circulated for approval, initially to the Club’s Bridge members and then to the membership at large. New members are accepted and required to pay dues for an initial THREE year period and upon approval, they are issued a Club membership card and burgee, and required to attend an initiation ceremony at one of the subsequent meetings within their first year of membership. The Club membership year runs from January to December and nearly half of the membership fee is used to pay the Club’s membership dues in the Ontario Sailing Association (OSA) and the Canadian Yachting Association (CYA).

The Club has numerous casual gatherings on island docks during the summer and currently has five significant meetings throughout the year:

A Spring Party and dinner before the snow thaws, usually at a hotel between Morrisburg and Gananoque.

A pre-launch BBQ at IMS in early May. The AGM in July, usually on one of the islands, recently this has been Endymion.

August Cruise, new in 2010 was to Waupoos, in Prince Edward County. The Mason Cup white sail race, a fun race out of Kingston, with dinner before in late August or more recently Labour Day weekend. The Fall Party in late September or early October, again usually on one of the islands.

Perhaps the Club is well characterized by the following three statements:

The purpose of the Club is to have FUN. The best rules are NO rules. Formal dress does not exist, the best dressed person is the least dressed person.